Birthday Shenanigans
by JustAnAverageWriter3
Summary: What happens when you tell Dick Grayson it's your birthday? Stuffd, that's what. Poor Marinette just wanted to bake instead.


Damian scoffed as Dick paraded happily around with Marinette- It was a deplorable sight.

"I can't believe this! How come you didn't tell us before, Damian?" Dick half-whined as he finally stopped twirling her around. In the background, Marinette doubled over after being released from his dizzying grip.

Damian narrowed his eyes, "Perhaps because I knew you would react like the complete idiot you are."

Marinette gave a tiny glare, before patting Dick's back sympathetically- Damian rolled his eyes at her gesture.

"It's alright Richard, I only remembered recently- Besides, I don't really-"

Dick snapped his fingers interrupting her thoughts, "I know! We should have a huge party."

Marinette gave a hesitant smile, "Richard, I really don't-"

"Don't worry, " he began, interrupting her words again. "It's not a problem at all- We're the Waynes, partying is our thing."

When Damian noted her hesitant but none the less happy expression, he almost smiled. She caught his look, and her grin grew wider, giving him a warm and welcoming feeling, he nearly gagged- How soft have I become? It hadn't been nearly as long as he thought, or was it? He barely met her last year.

_A year? Has it really only been a year?_

It felt like ages.

He ventured into his memories, remembering how he ran into her- A simple blue-eyed transfer student from Paris, of all places. Damian didn't like her the moment he set eyes on her- an all too kind smile and eyes that could drown you. No, Damian Wayne did not trust her and that inexplicable compassion she held for everyone. That kind of attitude would get you killed in a city like Gotham.

But he soon found himself lost in those bluebell eyes, it was terribly annoying and all very sudden. It's not like he asked her to become his friend, but she almost seemed determined on getting to his better side- Often reserved for Dick, maybe even Alfred- But never this strange Parisian, and her sweet smiles. Now here he was, she stood reserving her best smile for him, and it threw him off- _Nothing_ threw Damian Wayne off.

_Nothing_.

Except for this girl- Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He thought that she was merely a child, of course, they both were but Damian didn't exactly have a picture-perfect childhood.

Unless you count being raised as an assassin, that is.

Not before long he found out just how many insecurities there really were behind her smiles, fear that she would fail. But what would have her worrying about failing?

_What indeed_.

"Damian?" She asked he blinked calmly as her eyes peered at him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Her gaze was never like how his mother looked at him, holding the weight of the world over his shoulders. It was filled with something completely unfamiliar to him, though he had often seen it, but couldn't quite place it.

"Yes?"

She gave a small giggle, again he gave an irritated look, his stomach churning with every laugh.

"Never mind." She looked warily to Dick who had continued to rant on about the partying and Damian had the urge to suffocate him.

"Grayson, shut up already." Damian dismissed him, Dick raised an eyebrow. "Can't you see she doesn't wish to have a big celebration?"

Dick looked to Marinette, she was biting her lip, fighting the urge to agree with Damian and his bluntness.

"Really?" He looked to her, she gave a half-hearted shrug.

"I never really celebrated with a huge party. I'm not exactly the child of a billionaire, but I will celebrate with you guys." She smiled gently, her eyes glittering with excitement. "Just imagine all the pastries we can make- You guys have the best kitchen gear I've ever seen."

Dick grinned, nodding along. "Sure, that sounds great- Hey where are Jason and Timmy?"

Marinette raised an eyebrow, looking around them. "I have no idea, but it wouldn't be my birthday without them."

Damian scoffed, "Really? Todd and Drake? Those two are the absolute apex of stupidity."

"Damian, they're your brothers," she said with a slight frown. "And they're my friends. Just because you can't get over yourself doesn't mean they can't be around us." She sniffed, almost hesitant for his reaction.

Damian was slightly stunned, almost forgetting her smart mouth at times- the moments where Ladybug was shining through her usually timid and charming demeanor. Dick rather enjoyed seeing Marinette putting Damian in his place from time to time.

"Very well," he ground out with a grimace. "Let's find the troglodytes and get it over with."

Marinette smiled again, "Great idea."

Jason was having a particularly bad day, and when he saw Demon sauntering over to him, with Dick on his tail, he actually wished he had gotten shot by those muggers.

"Jay, guess what?" Dick said, earning an annoyed grumble. "It's Mari's birthday!"

Jason's brows shot up as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. His back felt like absolute shit but to hell with it, now he had some birthday shenanigans to deal with.

"Really?"

Marinette popped out from behind Dick, startling the dark-haired vigilante. "Shit, kid, could you not? Demon Spawn over here already pulls this ninja crap on us daily."

Marinette laughed brightly, trying but failing to control her giggling. "Sorry, Jason. So will you celebrate with me?"

Jason gave a heavy sigh, "I don't know Mari, I'm pretty beat and well-"

"I'm making French pastries. Including your favorite- Fresh bread for dinner." She sang, clasping her hands in excitement.

"Hell, you had me at French, cupcake." He smirked, mussing up her blue locks, she batted his hands away.

"Great, now we gotta find Tim." She asserted, planting her hands on her hips. She tapped her chin, "Where would he be?"

Luckily for her, Tim didn't exactly have a life, so the trio found him half asleep at the computer, struggling to figure out his latest case. Papers and empty cups of coffee were strewn about in his desk, a half-eaten sandwich haphazardly thrown across the surface.

Marinette prodded him slightly, "Tim?"

He jolted up, eyes wide and darkened with lack of proper sleep. "What?"

"-tt-" Damian sneered, gazing at a mug dripping coffee onto the floor. "Drake, your caffeine habits are deplorable."

Tim mumbled something before rubbing his eyes, it did nothing as he was still half asleep. "So what? Hey Mari, what's wrong?" He asked, yawning loudly.

She scowled at his condition, "Tim, how can you do this to yourself? Just sleep for once."

"I'm working on a case." A simple, but foolish reply.

"How can you work if you haven't given your brain a rest? Go take a shower then meet us in the kitchen- We're baking today!" She shoved him out of his chair, pushing him towards the staircase leading back to the manor.

Tim smiled weakly, he had to admit, ever since she became Damian's friend the manor seemed to brighten- _Significantly_. She brought laughter and the feeling of family to their home, something long forgotten after years of conflict and anger between each other. It wasn't even simple quarrels. Heck, Damian had tried to murder them in their sleep at some point- He still tried. Dick was off in Blüdhaven and Jason was Jason. So when she came around they seemed to grow closer. She even helped them resolve their problems with Bruce.

Some would say this was impossible- Almost _miraculous_. Maybe it was the fact that she had a kind heart and common sense. They all lacked the simple common sense to get along to a certain degree, and they weren't exactly the nicest people- To each other, that is. She changed that.

_Yep, she turned our lives right side up._

"Damian, could you pass me the powdered sugar?" Marinette asked politely, he handed her the bag, studying her intently.

Marinette measured it before handing Dick the mixer, "So, you need to mix it in-"

"Alright," Dick exclaimed, turning on the mixer at full speed, sending a cloud of sugar down on them.

Dick turned off the mixer, giving a sheepish grin. Jason turned to him with glare, "You idiot, you ruined the macaroons." He grumbled, smacking his shoulder.

It was at this moment that Marinette realized that a large birthday party would have been more ideal than this mess.

Damian scrunched his nose in distaste, "Oh please Todd, it was ruined the moment you tried to mix the egg whites."

Jason turned on him with a sinister glare, "Shut up hellspawn." He growled slowly.

Damian crossed his arms, unfazed by his name-calling. "Make me, Todd."

"That's it-"

All four began to fight like kindergartners, tossing sugar and flour at each other. Dick ended up struggling to hold Damian back from murdering Jason with a whisk. All brothers were silenced at the sudden and unexpected burst of laughter from Marinette. She wiped at her face, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. Her laughter was something else, stopping their madness- They thought she had gone insane. She fell onto the floor in a heap of giggles and tears, looking at the four, all still worried about her mental condition.

"Mari, are you… okay?" Tim inquired nervously, she wheezed a little.

"Yeah, it's just- You guys, I can't." She grinned, still snickering to herself.

"You remind me of my friends at home." She said wistfully, wiping the sugar off her cheeks, she glanced at the marble floors. "I miss Paris- My family, my friends." She spoke quietly, twiddling her thumbs. A lump settled in the pit of her stomach, she felt pinned to the floor.

Damian felt his throat close up, he finally remembered. She wasn't here to stay. Yes, it had been a year but she would soon return to Paris. She was merely sent here for the fine arts program at Gotham Academy, her first term had already finished. A sinking feeling pulled at him, though he fought the urge to let it pull him down, it still remained, tugging at the back of his mind.

"But I like it here, in Gotham."

A surge of hope swelled up through him, something immensely remarkable to be happening to him. Again he found himself on the verge of smiling, looking down and seeing her grinning at everyone.

Tim looked at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. "So you aren't mad at us for ruining your baking? And your birthday?"

She stood, dusting herself off. "No, I'm furious," she began, giving a mischievous look. "But only because all that batter has gone to waste. I suppose we could just order take-out and grab a cake?"

Everyone gave murmurs of agreement and soon found themselves walking out the kitchen, except the Ladybug and the Robin. Damian again felt that unsettling feeling pulling at his stomach, especially when she walked over to him with that same smile across her face.

"Thanks for stopping Richard from throwing a giant party." She muttered, looking anywhere but his eyes.

"It was nothing," he began, tilting his head to catch her gaze. "I merely hope you are having a good birthday as of late."

She bit her lip, nodding quickly. "Yeah, it's been really fun."

There was an unspoken word between them, something more to his gaze, more to her words. Marinette suddenly wrapped her arms around him, he froze a moment before allowing himself to be held.

"Thanks, Damian." She mumbled into his shoulder, squeezing him tighter for a moment before letting him go.

Damian fought the urge to pull her back into his arms, hiding the rising flush of his cheeks.

"You're welcome." He breathed, he felt as if the world had been lifted off his chest.

She grinned, before looking to her toes, he raised an eyebrow watching her. It was a brief and subtle brush against his cheek- delicate and sweet- and when she pulled away hastily, he had no time to realize what she had just done. Marinette found herself running out of the kitchen to catch up with the elder brothers, leaving an entirely all too flustered Damian Wayne standing in the middle of a messy kitchen, glued to his spot.

Had she-_ Did she just? Kiss him?_

There were a thousand thoughts running through the young heroes' mind but at that moment it was the fact that he rather missed the feeling of her lips on his cheek. And he nearly gagged at the notion of it all.

He _had_ gone soft.


End file.
